Puppy vaccines

Puppies get some antibodies against certain diseases from their mother through her placenta and milk, however, those antibodies break down and disappear after a few months of life. Therefore having your puppy vaccinated properly to prevent certain life-threatening diseases is extremely important. Our doctors will discuss with you the ideal vaccination schedule for your puppy and their future needs. Some puppies will require more vaccines than other depending on if they will be show dogs, hunting dogs, dogs that need to be groomed or good pets for our family and friends. Vaccines that will be discussed include: distemper, parvo, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, corona, bordetella, influenza, rabies and lymes. We will determine the proper spacing of the vaccines for your puppy so it will not overwhelm their immune system but yet provide good quality care so they do not become infected with these diseases.

Adult Dog Vaccines

Our doctors will discuss with you the ideal vaccination schedule for your dog and their needs. Some will require more dog vaccines than other depending on if they are show dogs, hunting dogs, dogs that need to be groomed or good pets for our family and friends. Vaccines that will be discussed include: distemper, parvo, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, corona, bordetella, influenza, lymes and rabies. Some vaccines need to be given annually while others may provide immune for up to 3 years. Call Countryside Animal Health Center to schedule and appointment or learn more about dog vaccines.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and birds all can carry fleas and ticks into your yard! Therefore it is important to give your dog and puppy flea prevention every month. When you come into our clinic for your dog vaccines we will discuss the options of medications we have available. Fleas suck blood out of animals and humans, so getting them in your house is not something you want! They can be difficult to get out of your house, furniture, bedding etc so prevention is the key. We recommend all dogs and cats be on flea/tick preventative all year long since these parasites can live in your house even through the winter!

Heartworm prevention

If you live in Michigan, you know moquitos are a problem! Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. They bite the dog and injected little larva into the skin of your puppy. That larva matures and eventually finds the heart and becomes a long worm that plugs up certain chambers and vessels in the heart. All dogs and puppies need to be on heartworm prevention as soon as possible. If you have a puppy you will be sent home with your first dosage of heartworm prevention when you come in for your first puppy vaccine and they will need to be given each month.

Your puppy will be growing though so we need to weigh them every time we see them to see what dose of medication they will require. When your puppy turns 6 months of age, we can give an injection of a heartworm preventative called Proheart and it will prevent heartworm disease for 6 months at a time so you won’t need to give the medication every single month. Dogs over 6 months of age will be required to have a heartworm test prior to prescribing heartworm prevention and yearly thereafter. We recommend all dogs be on heartworm preventative all 12 months of the year. Sometimes we have a January thaw in Michigan where temperatures can get into the 70’s or 80’s for a week which allows mosquitos to wake up from their dormant states to where they are very hungry and ready to feast on your dog.

News/Articles

Jocelynn Jacobs DVM, CVC Some of the common questions I get this time of year from many of my clients are, “How cold is too cold to leave my dog/cat outside?” and “How long can my pet stay outside in cold weather?” Unfortunately those questions don’t have black and...